UE, radio network node and methods performed therein for handling communication

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate e.g. to a method performed by a user equipment, UE, ( 10 ) for handling communication in a wireless communication network. The UEa radio network 5 adjusts a value of the CW based on a determined response, from node ( 12 ), of an uplink, UL, control channel transmission.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for handling communication in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
 initiating conditional transmission of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) to a radio network node of the wireless communication network, wherein the PUCCH contains uplink control information (UCI) and the transmission is conditioned on successful performance by the UE of a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure on an unlicensed carrier to be used for the transmission; and 
 adjusting a contention window size (CWS) of the LBT procedure by
 resetting the CWS to a first value, responsive to determining that the radio network node responds within a time period from the initiation of the transmission in a manner that is consistent with the radio network node acting on the UCI; or 
 increasing the CWS to a next value, responsive to determining that the radio network node does not respond within the time period in the manner that is consistent with the radio network node acting on the UCI. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the unlicensed carrier is a secondary cell (SCell) uplink carrier. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 the next value is higher than a current value for the CWS; or 
 the first value is a minimum value for the CWS. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the UCI comprises a scheduling request (SR), and wherein the UE determines whether the radio network node responds in the manner consistent with the radio network node acting on the SR by determining whether the UE receives a corresponding uplink scheduling grant from the radio network node within the time period. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the UCI comprises hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledge (HARQ-ACK) information, and wherein the UE determines whether the radio network node responds in the manner consistent with the radio network node acting on the HARQ-ACK information by determining whether downlink scheduling information sent by the radio network node for the UE within the time period is consistent with the HARQ-ACK information. 
     
     
       6. A method performed by a radio network node for handling communication in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
 deciding to enable an adjustment function at each of one or more user equipments (UEs), wherein, when the adjustment function is enabled, each such UE, when attempting transmission of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) on an unlicensed carrier, conditions the transmission on successful performance of a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure, with the UE inferring whether the LBT procedure was successful or unsuccessful based on whether the radio network node responds within a time period from the conditional transmission in a manner that is consistent with the radio network node acting on uplink control channel information (UCI) included in the PUCCH, and wherein the adjustment function comprises the UE resetting a contention window (CW) of the LBT procedure to a first size responsive to inferring a successful LBT for the conditional transmission and setting the CW of the LBT to a next size responsive to inferring an unsuccessful LBT for the conditional transmission; and 
 configuring the one or more UEs, to enable the adjustment function. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the configuring is per at least one of UE, cell, carrier, bandwidth part, channel, or subband. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein deciding whether to enable the adjustment function comprises determining whether a measured load of PUCCH transmissions is above or below a threshold. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the radio network node decides to enable the adjustment function in response to the measured load being above the threshold. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the radio network node decides not to enable the adjustment function in response to the measured load being below the threshold or another threshold. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the unlicensed carrier is a secondary cell (SCell) carrier with respect to the one or more UEs. 
     
     
       12. A user equipment (UE) for handling communication in a wireless communication network, wherein the UE comprises:
 a communication interface configured for communicating with a radio network node of the wireless communication network; and 
 processing circuitry operatively associated with the communication interface and configured to:
 initiate conditional transmission of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) to the radio network node, wherein the PUCCH contains uplink control information (UCI) and the transmission is conditioned on successful performance by the UE of a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure on an unlicensed carrier to be used for the transmission; and 
 adjust a contention window size (CWS) of the LBT procedure
 by resetting the CWS to a first value, responsive to determining that the radio network node responds within a time period from the initiation of the transmission in a manner that is consistent with the radio network node acting on the UCI; and 
 increasing the CWS to a next value, responsive to determining that the radio network node does not respond within the time period in the manner that is consistent with the radio network node acting on the UCI. 
 
 
 
     
     
       13. The UE according to  claim 12 , wherein the unlicensed carrier is a secondary cell (SCell) uplink carrier. 
     
     
       14. The UE according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of:
 the next value is higher than a current value for the CWS, or 
 the first value is a minimum value for the CWS. 
 
     
     
       15. The UE according to  claim 12 , wherein the UCI comprises a scheduling request (SR), and wherein the UE determines whether the radio network node responds in the manner consistent with the radio network node acting on the SR by determining whether the UE receives a corresponding uplink scheduling grant from the radio network node within the time period. 
     
     
       16. The UE according to  claim 12 , wherein the UCI comprises hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledge (HARQ-ACK) information, and wherein the UE determines whether the radio network node responds in the manner consistent with the radio network node acting on the HARQ-ACK information by determining whether downlink scheduling information sent by the radio network node for the UE within the time period is consistent with the HARQ-ACK information. 
     
     
       17. A radio network node for handling communication in a wireless communication network, wherein the radio network node comprises:
 a communication interface configured for communicating with user equipments (UEs); 
 processing circuitry operatively associated with the communication interface and configured to:
 decide to enable an adjustment function at each of one or more UEs, wherein, when the adjustment function is enabled, each such UE, when attempting transmission of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) on an unlicensed carrier, conditions the transmission on successful performance of a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure, with the UE inferring whether the LBT procedure was successful or unsuccessful based on whether the radio network node responds within a time period from the conditional transmission in a manner that is consistent with the radio network node acting on uplink control channel information (UCI) included in the PUCCH, and wherein the adjustment function comprises the UE resetting a contention window (CW) of the LBT procedure to a first size responsive to inferring a successful LBT for the conditional transmission and setting the CW of the LBT to a next size responsive to inferring an unsuccessful LBT for the conditional transmission; and 
 configure the one or more UEs, to enable the adjustment function.